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Best type of earthworms for axolotls?

Best earthworms for axolotls

  • Red wriggler (Eisenia foetida)

    Votes: 24 18.2%
  • European Nightcrawler (Eisenia hortensis)

    Votes: 35 26.5%
  • Canadian Nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris)

    Votes: 57 43.2%
  • African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae)

    Votes: 6 4.5%
  • Alabama Jumper (Amynthas gracilis)

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • Other type not mentioned

    Votes: 11 8.3%
  • I am not sure what type I worms I am feeding. But they sure do love it!

    Votes: 21 15.9%

  • Total voters
    132

Muddy

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I can't speak for axolotl's preference but I had an oscar who would spit out europeans because of some yellowish excretion. Currently raising africans, no yellow gunk and they do breed like mad at room temp but in my experience they're not as heat tolerant as suggested. 3 days in 90 degree weather did one bin in :(. The one big advantage of the europeans was that they didn't wander around like the africans tend too- not crippling losses but dead worms all over the floor can be a pain.
 

JM29

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Allolobophora icterica is always well accepted by axolotls and all other caudates.It is only available by very rainy weather.
 

Slongo

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If you're having trouble with red wigglers because of the excretion trying freezing them and feeding the thawed worms. My axies won't take live but they devour the frozen thawed.
 

crawdaddy

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i like to use canadian nightcrawlers, cut up. they tend to live longer than other worms ive kept. also, they are easy to find at night outside or at fishing stores for the lowest prices, sometimes a dollar a dozen.
 

elKendo97

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My tiger salamanders do not accept E.foetida and accept my axolotl appears only occasionally, however all of my salamanders accept L. terrestris well.
 

tyaxloltl

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I was using Red Earthworms, but have since switched to Canadian Night crawlers, they produce less slime coating and the axies apostle love them. And since I live in the Pacific Northwest they breed naturally here, I reckamend though to do research on the "Native" worms (types and defenses)
 

Essad96

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Over where I live, we don't have anything but African nightcrawlers. Thats fine, since temperatures can get up to 45° degree's in the summer. They eat their weight in food weekly and breed so much that I'm considering selling or giving away some! They breed as fast as red wrigglers and get as big as europeans, so no hard feelings about living in a desert
 

tipnatee

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I keep my worms alive I tank with axolotl . (Substrate sand +bubblurs ). I voted for European Nightcrawler cause the can stay underwater ( with lots of air bubble stuck between the sand grains) doesn't fowl the water like red wiggler . I normally rinsed them with water till they stop casting first before put them in the tank with axolotl. They are smaller than Canadian Nightcrawler and easier for axolotl to grip and swallow. :cool:
 

AmbystoMan

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I use earthworms from lawns in a park,

autumn is a good season for hunting them, crowbar technic is very successfull !!!

tiger sals, axolotls, salamandra, tylototriton, laotriton love them !

I think they are the common Lumbricus terrestris...
 

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yd1

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Does anyone subscribe to the theory that you can change the taste of the worms by what you feed them.

I havent bought my axolotl yet but I'm keen to know if my bin of worms will come in handy.

Banana skins, paper and Tea-bags make up the vast majority of what my worms eat.(Red Wrigglers)

But I did go through a phase of trying to fatten them up with white bread. It works - and I can only imagine that what they eat would influence their taste (to what extent I"m not sure).

What I have noticed in feeding Yabbies and goldfish is this - they dont love them at first - but they can acquire a taste for them after a while.

I do wash my worms in tap water before introducing them to the tank - but thats just to get the dirt off them - (not sure if washing them helps in the taste or not)

But long story short - fish and Yabbies may not initially show interest in Red wrigglers - but after a while they will happily munch them down.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5DLM_Bb1dMU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

ndbug

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I like how a decent ammount chose the last option. "I am not sure what type I worms I am feeding. But they sure do love it!" as did I! cheers thanks for all the info and opinions guys!
 

aalysaz

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Dec 16, 2017
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New York, USA
Hello All!
I'm a beginner at axolotls and I'm kind of confused. Do only babies eat brine shrimp or can adults eat them too? And can bloodworms feed adults as well?
Also, how do you know when an axolotl is full?
 

Aesyir

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Nov 26, 2017
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I feel like African Nightcrawlers should be tested more so i'm trying them out for myself right now. They could be amazing for people trying to keep a culture of worms in warmer climates. They breed decently quick can be kept at warm room temps and i'm pretty sure they don't secrete and foul tasting liquids like other worms do, not sure about this yet but from what i can tell they probably don't.
 

Joep

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do not feed them every day,worms have an anti boddybad taste,ambystomae stop eating them,so also give them axo-pils,&bloodworms,etc
 

KBow83

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I feed mine mostly pellets and blood worms. We tried to feed worms (I believe night crawlers) but my son had a hard time cutting them into smaller pieces (it grossed him out). Any suggestions on a smaller worm that we can start with? I know that most Axies can eventually eat a large worm but we have to work up to that!
 

acerno

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I have always used the Nightcrawler variety instead of the Red Wiggler types which are offered for sale in bait shops or sporting goods stores in the USA. The crawlers are larger and in nature tend to be found under leaves or on the surface of the ground during rain. I have heard they are collected from the wild instead of being raised in "worm beds." The wigglers are smaller than the crawlers and are grown on worm beds by using different types of animal manure since they specialize in eating it, unlike the crawlers. I only feed crawlers since in my opinion are easier for the amphibian to digest that the wrigglers and are not rejected. I also believe the wigglers have some defensive chemical in their body that triggers rejection by many amphibians after consumption. I have had healthy newts and salamanders in the past regurgitate partially digested worms, and some have even expired after consuming the wiggler variety. I would just avoid the wigglers.
 

Lily0612

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Apr 19, 2018
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My Axolotl prefer Canadian night crawlers or worms from my garden. They spit out the red wigglers, which is on bad because they are so easy to grow. I think I will try advice from an earlier poster and try only giving them the red wiggles until they develop a taste for them.
 

ntny

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Hi folks,
just to share.
Normally i feed Perionyx Excavatus blue earth worms. these are larger worms growing up to 6 to 8 inches. all my caduates love them. i have to chop them into smaller pieces about 1-2 inch sizes.
recently i switched to smaller earthworms as they are cheaper about 2-3.5 inches. i feed them whole as they are smaller and thinner. But to my surprise my caduates will swallow and spit them out most of the time. i have to persist and when they are super hungry eventually them swallow them whole. when i look at these smaller worms they seems to be red wigglers type. but i am still not 100% sure if they are really red wigglers? may i know if Red wigglers are equally nutritious as normal earthworms and night crawlers?
actually i dont mind feeding Red wigglers as long as they are equally nutritious

thanks and cheers!
 
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